Keys to the season

Sunday

Aug 29, 2010 at 12:01 AMAug 29, 2010 at 9:31 AM

Gordon: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He does not have to repeat his Rose Bowl performance every week, but his accuracy (56.6 percent) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (18 to 11) last season must improve.

Key offensive player

Gordon: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He does not have to repeat his Rose Bowl performance every week, but his accuracy (56.6 percent) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (18 to 11) last season must improve.

May: Center Michael Brewster. He is a third-year starter who now knows all the calls, and he is leading a veteran group up front for which there will be no excuses this season.

Key defensive player

May: End/tackle Cameron Heyward. So many analysts can't all be wrong in labeling him one of the elite players in the nation this year but, as even he has said, he wants to play like one. He could be a force all his own.

Gordon: Safety Jermale Hines. With Kurt Coleman gone, the secondary is in need of a dynamic playmaker, and Hines, a veteran of 31 games and 17 starts, is the best bet to be that guy.

Key early game

Gordon: Miami, Sept. 11. This is a great chance for OSU to solidify the No. 2 spot in the polls and put some distance between itself and No. 3 Boise State. That might be important later.

May: Of course it's Miami, but past that, the poll voters are going to want to see the Buckeyes handle - not just beat - Marshall, Ohio and Eastern Michigan, and, for that matter, Illinois.

Gordon: Freshman defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins. The wide-body has drawn rave reviews in preseason camp and might give OSU something it hasn't had in awhile: an NFL-style space eater up the middle.

Best offseason move

Gordon: Finally getting Pryor to learn the proper mechanics. We thought he might have picked it up last offseason, but the sidearm, shot-put style still prevailed at times. This preseason, he looks much more sound.

May: The apparent, slight philosophical shift by the offensive coaching staff to throwing the ball more. Apparent is the operative word, though, because this hasn't been proved yet.

Pressure is on

May: Jim Tressel. He would say "So what else is new?" but almost every analyst expects this team to not only win a sixth-straight Big Ten title but also make a run to the national title game. In this age of parity, that's pressure.

Gordon: Mike Adams. He's getting a second chance to lock down the left tackle spot, where failures often are painfully public. It's time.

Stat that must change

Gordon: 2-4. That's Tressel's record at OSU after a bye week. This year, the bye comes Nov. 6, and the next game is at home against Penn State.

May: No. 68. That's where OSU ranked in total offense in 2009 (369.0 yards per game). This team has the capability to move into the top 30 if it comes out throwing and running as it did in the Rose.

Buckeyes go to a BCS game if

May: They win the Big Ten for a sixth straight time, earning the league's automatic berth. But the national championship game is the destination they truly seek. That should require a 12-0 run.

Gordon: They win at least one of their two toughest Big Ten road games: at Wisconsin and Iowa. Even with two losses,it's a safe bet that a BCS bowl committee wouldn't pass on the Buckeyes.

Bottom line

Gordon: The pieces are all in place. Pryor doesn't have to do it all with this collection of offensive talent. If he cuts down on turnovers and some younger defensive players emerge, OSU should be playing Jan. 10 in Glendale.

May: The Rose showed how diverse Pryor and the offense can be and, with nine starters back, there are no excuses. The defense will be good enough to make it a memorable regular season. In other words, all signs point to Glendale.